


Birthday Wishes and Surprise Kisses

by jujukittychick



Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: Ace Capheus, Aro Sun, Birthday Fluff, Boys Kissing, Cluster Feels (Sense8), Complicated Relationships, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, International Fanworks Day 2021, M/M, Multi, One Big Happy Family, Poly Relationships, Sort Of, UST, fluid sexuality because Cluster, focus is on eventual Will/Wolf, ignores season 2, kind of Will-centric, platonic partner Dani, will has a sexuality crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23678479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jujukittychick/pseuds/jujukittychick
Summary: It's been a year since the Cluster came together, they've defeated Whispers and his people, cleared all their names and are finally able to start living their lives again.  But first, it's their birthday, and that's the perfect excuse for them to all come together in person finally.  There are friends and family to meet and a party to plan.  And maybe a couple of guys find they have more in common than they originally thought.Inspired by this 10 second clip ofMax & Brian kissing
Relationships: Amanita Caplan/Nomi Marks, Felix Brenner & Wolfgang Bogdanow, Kala Dandekar/Rajan Rasal, Lito Rodriguez/Hernando Fuentes & Daniela Velasquez, Riley Blue/Will Gorski, Wolfgang Bogdanow/Will Gorski
Comments: 20
Kudos: 70





	1. Planning

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Beautiful Herd](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4374002) by [allapplesfall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/allapplesfall/pseuds/allapplesfall). 



> I can not believe a 10 second clip has me wanting to write fic, but this was hot as hell and obviously unscripted from the way Max (Wolfgang) was acting at the start, then add in that little hand to the face from Brian (Will) and just... yeah, hot as hell lol. I've been wanting to write this for literally *years* and finally got the motivation to do it. I originally had this planned as a long one shot but have since decided to split it into chapters. I have *almost* all of it written now and will be posting a chapter every day or so probably. 
> 
> This has an alternate finale to season 1 (and therefore ignores most of the Christmas special) with Will still being functional having never been seen by Whispers. The actual happenings of what would be season 2 with them escaping and beating the bad guys is going to be glossed over (since I never actually watched the second season), but essentially everyone comes out okay and happy with life returning to normal.
> 
> Cluster thought/feelings without one of them being "present" are going to be in italics.  
> Tense changes from past to present are intentional.

The thing was, Will thought as he looked up at a  _ polutionhazysky/sunnypark/festivalcity/starrysky/coolforest/jailcell/spicedairkitchen _ , that his Cluster was as close as anybody could be to someone outside themselves, they knew each other intimately, in all senses of that word, by now. But, with the exception of he and Riley, none of them had actually had a chance to physically meet and that just felt so...wrong. They’d laughed and cried and hugged, sang and danced, made love and fought...together...separately. And now, here it was almost a full year later, Whispers and his organization were taken care of, names were in the process of being cleared, and they were all starting to settle down into life again. And it was almost their birthday.

He felt Riley’s arms slide around his waist, her chin resting on his shoulder from where she sat behind him on the steps to his dad’s house. His dad’s house had three extra rooms that weren’t used for anything other than an occasional guest room and some storage. Three bedrooms and a fold out couch for twelve extra people. The Cluster wouldn’t mind sharing  _ no/of course not/don’t be silly/it'll be fun _ but their partners and friends might  _ she won't mind/he’ll get a hotel room/they’d love it/we’ve slept in worse places.  _ No, wait, thirteen, Capheus’ mom should definitely be able to come too  _ she’s never stayed in a hotel room!  _

Will leaned back into Riley’s loving arms and stared out into seven different views. Happy feelings and plans floating  _ aroundthemthroughthem _ , a multitude of voices and languages that he knew as well as his own. He wondered what his dad would say, but, well, it  _ was _ almost their birthday and they all deserved a present.

~~

In the end, it took the last couple months before their actual birthday to arrange everything, mostly thanks to Nomi’s hacking skills and Kala’s husband’s money. Thanks to some clever digging and a good lawyer, Sun was released from jail and her brother arrested. A few shady contacts and some computer work later, Wolfgang and Felix were going to be able to get out of the country as soon as Felix was out of the hospital and they were finally able to be done with the family business once and for all. With the fall of Whispers, Nomi, Neets, Riley, and Will’s names were cleared and they were all able to travel freely once more.

It was decided and agreed upon by everyone to tell the important people in their lives the truth, their family members who had grown more and more confused as their loved ones had moments of bizarre behavior and frequent conversations with themselves, sometimes in completely different languages they should have no way of knowing. Some of them took the news better than others.

_ “So I’m not the only one who likes watching you two have sex!” Dani is all smiles as she looks at her two friends. _

_ “Dani, no!” _

It took some convincing, a lot of visiting back and forth, and a lot of Skype calls, but eventually the rest came around. At least Will had Riley with him to explain everything to his dad. Them swapping bodies may have freaked the hell out of him, but it got the point across a lot quicker. All that was left was arranging for flights and hotel rooms for those that might want them.

Feeling excited and terrified and unbelievably happy, Will spun Riley around in his living room, the others dancing and laughing around them and with them. They’d all be together soon.


	2. Traveling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody is making their way to the Gorski house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I did enjoy the Wolfgang/Kala in the series, and as painful as it was to watch, I was left really conflicted on what to do with the whole Kala situation. In the end I decided to pretty much stick to canon so there is a little more in depth look to her and Rajan's feelings in these next couple chapters.

Nomi and Neets were the first to leave, though they’d be a couple days getting to Will’s house. Though their names had been cleared, Nomi was still feeling a little skittish about being tracked and decided that driving might be best for them.

Amanita leaned over Nomi’s shoulder grinning at the group in the Skype window. “Besides that, road trip, baby! Oh, we need to rent a convertible! Oh, I need to pack. I need to  _ shop _ .” She pressed a smacking kiss to Nomi’s cheek and bounced away to start tearing through their clothes to find the perfect things to bring with them. Nomi just smiled and shook her head.

~~

Sun, finally having access to her personal finances again, made arrangements to meet Capheus and his mom in Africa so they wouldn’t have to experience flying for the first time alone.

His mother was so excited to meet one of her new “daughters” and, after only a few minutes of awkwardness, pulled her into a gentle hug. Sun didn’t break down, her control was too good for that, but the others were there with her, encasing them all in a group hug. 

Capheus takes the window seat and keeps reaching out for Sun’s or his mother’s hand, his excitement and joy bubbling over. “Look! This is so amazing! Everything is so  _ small _ ! And the clouds!”

Sun shares a look with his mother and smiles indulgently at him, his childlike optimism and wonder a balm to her bruised soul.

~~

Kala and Rajan take his private plane for the trip, which had all of them swarming over the plane in curiosity. The couple’s relationship is still a little strained along the edges though it’s getting better. Rajan was incredibly hard to convince of their connection and, with his connections to the medical field, they’d all been reluctant about telling him anyway, afraid he might want to start running tests on Kala and none of them were eager to stage yet another rescue mission so soon. 

Kala’s first real love was still Wolfgang, though that information was definitely  _ not  _ shared with Rajan, and all of them are quietly respectful of both that knowledge and the fact that the two decided they were better off not together. It was a painful spot for all of them, a small bruise in the overlapping and tangled mess of their thoughts and emotions for  _ eachotherthemselves _ but it was healing over time.

Rajan apparently decided to treat the whole matter as an international class reunion of sorts and arranged to attend several business meetings while they were visiting so Kala could visit with her friends. While the group wasn’t too thrilled with his attitude, they also realized that he just hadn’t had as much exposure to them and what they could do as Hernando, Dani, and Felix had and whatever made him comfortable was good for everyone.

~~

Lito, Hernando, and Dani fly out together, the couple and their friend/platonic partner/whatever still dealing with the fallout of Lito and Hernando being forced out of the closet and all the ensuing hatred directed toward them. Deciding to treat the whole thing as a much needed vacation and an opportunity to rethink their options on where to live, they packed up what few belongings they still owned after the guys’ landlord and Dani’s boyfriend had pretty much evicted them empty handed and shipped it all out to Will’s apartment.

After everything that had happened in the past year, it was time for a fresh start.

~~

Wolfgang and Felix, after finally getting out of Germany with pretty much just the clothes on their back and Felix still recovering from his injuries, made their way to the nearest city with an international airport. Nomi arranged a bank account for each of them in the city and Sun deposited some money so they could get a debit card to actually be able to buy the things they needed.

Kitted out once more, they spent the night in the city truly relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever before hopping a flight the next day for America. It’s their first time flying as well, and Felix is hopping around like a kid jacked up on sugar, “America, man! Can you believe it!” Wolfgang, however, is gripping the arms of his seat, eyes closed as he tries to ignore the sensation of his stomach being left behind them as the plane takes off.

The others try to offer him comfort and suggestions, but he just glares at them and continues to try to breathe. Will appears in the seat next to him, smirking. “So, there’s something you’re not good at after all.” The string of insults that leaves Wolfgang’s mouth has the people across the aisle gasping and glaring while Will just cackles. The cop pats his leg, “Come on, it’s a nice day back home, you can help me set up the new grill.”

There’s still a lot of cursing in both languages, but they manage to get the grill assembled and Wolfgang sleeps through the rest of the flight to New York. The flight to Chicago hasn’t left him feeling any better, but at least the trip is shorter.

The ghost-like touch of a masculine hand carding through his hair might be helping too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Shiro more or less adopting all the clustermates comes entirely from [A Beautiful Herd](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4374002) by [allapplesfall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/allapplesfall/pseuds/allapplesfall), it's so sweet and touching, go check it out!


	3. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not a birthday without cakes...and snacks...and drinks...and...

“Birthday cakes!”

Will’s eyes go wide as he looks at Riley. “Oh, shit, I totally forgot. How many should we get?”

Kala looks around the living room curiously, “Or we could just make them.”

Will laughs, “Yeah, you haven’t seen my dad’s kitchen.”

Nomi shakes her head. “Seriously, it can’t be that bad. Just buy a couple of pans if you need to and some cake mix and icing…”

“No no no! That box stuff never tastes right, we need to make it by hand.” Lito peeks in the kitchen and his nose wrinkles at the site of the ancient appliances. “Oh, I see what you mean.”

The girls look over his shoulder and turn back to Will, Kala shrugging sheepishly. “There’s still a couple of days left, I’m sure you could order some in time.”

Riley giggles and grabs a pen and paper. “So, what flavors should we get?”

As the others pop in and out giving their suggestions, Will notices his dad watching him and Riley again and shrugs, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, we just realized we need cakes and we don’t think your kitchen can quite handle that much baking.”

Michael shakes his head and takes a long pull of his beer. He’d been watching over the past couple of days as his son and his girlfriend would suddenly start having conversations with thin air, accents slipping into their voices or just straight up speaking another language. He’d call the loony bin on them if he hadn’t seen exactly what they were able to do first hand. Still blew his mind though. He was a simple guy, and a cop through and through. His world had always been pretty black and white and then  _ this _ . He’s still trying to wrap his mind around it, but at the same time, he’s never seen his son happier than he has been in the last few months, and isn’t that what every parent wants? He waves his hand, shrugging off Will’s worry. “Don’t worry about it. You know I can’t cook for shit, never seen a point in updating anything. Use the bakery on 7th, tell them I sent you and they should give you a good deal. Helped out the owner when somebody robbed the joint a few years ago.”

Will smiles softly, nodding. “Thanks dad. For everything. I know this has been insane, and now we’re taking over your house and you’re letting perfect strangers stay here, and just… thanks. For trusting me.”

“Yeah, well, whatever. Just make sure there’s plenty of beer here for the party. And lots of food. You’re going to have a bunch of off duty cops here, plus all your guests, you’re going to need a ton.”

Wolfgang rolls his eyes. “Yeah,  _ good beer. _ None of this American piss you guys drink.”

“Dani says we should do shots.”

“So did Neets.”

“How about some mixed drinks?”

Will laughs and joins in on the conversation as Riley’s list grows longer, all of them throwing out ideas for snacks and drinks and arguing over which ones are better.


	4. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're here!

Nomi and Neets are the first to arrive and Will and Riley are holding hands as the two pull into the driveway in a candy apple red convertible, making them both laugh, because  _ of course _ it would be. The girls barely make it out of the car before they’re rushing into each other’s arms, hugging and crying happy tears, talking over each other, a part of them just so  _ relieved _ that this other part of them is finally there.

As Riley leads Nomi inside with a couple of their bags, Neets tugs Will into a hug, clinging to him a moment as her voice grows husky. “Thank you for helping her escape. I don’t know...I don’t know what we would have done, what I would have done, if…”

“Shh, I understand, it’s okay. It’s all over and we’re all safe now. And we’ll keep it that way.” Will holds her tight as she settles, finally nodding against him and pulling back with a trembly smile.

Taking a deep breath she nods again, her smile growing bigger. “You better have picked up that vodka like I suggested.”

He laughs and grabs the rest of the bags out of the car and leads her inside.

~~

The three clustermates go to the airport to pick up Sun, Capheus, and his mom, Neets staying behind to settle in and start prepping some of the food for the party that can be made ahead. It’s an odd group that meets in the terminal and they draw quite a few stares as they all hug and laugh and cry, Shiro looking on indulgently.

Once her new children have settled, she looks them all over, so different are these young people, but bringing so much happiness to her son. She draws them each into a hug, thanking them for everything they’ve done for the two of them, welcoming them into her family as they have welcomed her into their own.

It’s a happily tearful group that leaves the airport for the hotel where Shiro will be staying before heading back to Will’s dad’s house.

~~

Kala and Rajan arrive next, their rental car a sleek stylish number that stands out in the neighborhood. The girls swarm Kala, hugging and laughing as Will and Capheus greet Rajan with handshakes before swapping so the guys can get their own hugs. Once they’ve all settled down once more, proper introductions are made for Michael, Amanita, and Rajan. 

Will notices Rajan fidgeting and checking his watch and definitely uncomfortable with the way his wife and these strangers keep hanging off each other. Stepping closer to the man, he speaks softly. “Sorry, I know this has to be really strange for you.”

“It’s...something that will take some getting used to, I’m afraid. She is very much not like this with others back home. But, she’s been so happy about this trip, and I can see how happy she is to be with all of you.” He sighs. “It is a lot.”

“Are you sure you’re comfortable with her staying here without you?”

Rajan waves his hand. “It’s not a problem, I am not worried about anything happening. It’s just an odd situation. I’m used to traveling for business and I’ve scheduled several meetings so she has time to spend with all of you.”

“You know you’re welcome to join us? You’re not the only partner that’s here, after all.”

Rajan looks over at the mismatched group for a long moment and shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I would be comfortable and it would only make things awkward. Kala mentioned that you all would be touring some of the local attractions, I’ll come along for some of those and of course the party.”

“If you’re sure?”

Rajan hesitates but watches at Kala’s head tips back, laughing freely in a way he hasn’t seen before. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Will feels bad for the man and the situation he’s in, but can do nothing but give him a comforting smile. “Why don’t you say goodbye and I’ll help you bring in Kala’s bags? You can get a goodnight’s rest and maybe things will seem different tomorrow.”

“Perhaps.” He’s pretty sure his feelings won’t change, the whole situation is just too bizarre for him to accept, but, for his Kala, he will try.

They all feel Kala’s guilt and sadness as Rajan leaves for the night, but there’s nothing to be done so instead they pull her into a massive cuddle pile on the floor while they watch movies and fight over popcorn, or  _ with _ popcorn, while Michael sits back in his recliner and drinks his beer and wonders how much crazier things are going to get when the rest get there.

~~

After bringing Shiro over to the house in the morning and introducing her to the others, the clustermates again head to the airport, this time in two cars, to pick up Lito, Hernando, and Dani. If the staff that had been working the day before thought the group was strange then, they were definitely wide-eyed as the new members joined. All of them talking over each other as introductions were made and hugs and cheek kisses and handshakes were given, all of them flowing into and out of their native languages faster than anyone outside their cluster could keep up.

Dani laughed brightly, clapping. “This is amazing! I have so many questions!”

Noticing a certain mischievous look in her eyes, Hernando covers her mouth quickly, his eyes wide as he shakes his head. “Dani, no!”

She tugs his arm away with both hands. “Oh, Dani, yes! So, tell me, what’s this I’ve heard about orgies?”

The group of them go quiet staring at each other before breaking out into, slightly hysterical, laughter, all of them blushing and unable to meet her eyes.

Snagging Will and Lito’s arms with her own, she leads the group out into the humid air, talking a mile a minute as the two grow redder and redder, Hernando following behind, apologizing over and over. “I’m so sorry!”

When they get back to the house and Amanita finds out why everybody is blushing, she thinks it’s absolutely hilarious and the rest grow very afraid as the two women start bonding over a fresh pitcher of margaritas.

Michael walks into the kitchen, hears something about dildos and escapes as fast as he can. Maybe it would be a good night to go to the bar.

~~

It’s later that evening and they’re all standing around anxiously as they hear a taxi pull up. A sharp knock on the door and Riley is yanking it open, smiling broadly at the two men there. “Hi, you must be Felix, come in! Come in! Meet everyone.”

Wolfgang watches as Felix is dragged into the madness that is his clustermates and their family, a smile tugging at his lips. His attention is snagged by the brunet that stops just inside the door while he stands on the doorstep. Looking at the man he’s  _ seentalkedtotouchedfuckeddancedwith _ for the first time in person, he nods in greeting. “Cop.”

Will looks at Wolf, standing there as aloof and solid as always, he holds his hand out. “Thief.”

The two clasp hands, looking into each other’s eyes for a long moment before they pull each other into a hug, foreheads resting against each other as they breathe each other in for just a moment. They’ve always had the most contentious relationship of the cluster, two sides of the same coin, cop and thief, but both are protectors and they are more alike than they are different in so many ways.

When they separate from one another, they realize everybody behind them has gone quiet, watching them and they both grow a little pink around the edges, Will ducking his head while Wolfgang just rolls his eyes. “So, are you going to invite me in?”

“Of course, come in and meet everyone else!”

There’s another round of hugs and handshakes and then somehow it’s the eight of them standing in a circle, holding each other, looking at each other, breathing in each other, and it feels like the last puzzle piece that is  _ meyouus _ finally slips into place and the world becomes a quiet thing around them as they smile at each other, marveling at the circumstances that has brought them together from all corners of the world.

Their family and friends stay back, letting them have this moment to connect physically, feeling the importance of the moment that they’ve been gifted to watch. Shiro sniffles and is brought into a hug by Neets and Dani and Hernando, Felix and Michael hovering behind them awkwardly until the girls laugh and wipe their eyes and draw them into it as well.

~~

The rest of the night, while not quite as manic as the previous days had been, is full of smiles and laughter, stories and more cuddling, a softer energy surrounding everyone. They’re piled on the sofa and the floor, all of them and their friends and partners finding some way to touch each other, to keep their connection.

Will looks around at all the smiling faces, his family of the heart all together, Riley snuggled up against his side as she chats with Hernando about music and art in history and Wolfgang leaning against his leg as he and Felix talk with Capheus, only now realizing that he’d been running his fingers through the blonde’s hair ever since he sat down. His hand stilling, realizing he’d done the same thing while Wolf and Felix were on the plane, he feels suddenly self-conscious. Wolf tilts his head back slightly, looking up at him questioningly, reading something in his expression before huffing a quiet laugh  _ don’t overthink it.  _ Bumping his head back against Will’s hand, he goes back to his conversation and Will takes the unsubtle suggestion and lets his fingers trail through the silky strands once more.

Riley tilts her head up to kiss his cheek, laughter in her voice as she whispers. “Silly boy. You worry too much.”

  
He kisses the top of her head and goes back to watching everyone. Maybe he does worry too much, but old habits are hard to change, and he hasn’t missed the confused looks his dad has been giving him occasionally, though at least he knows  _ why _ now. But he can worry another day. Right now they are here and they are together and together they can overcome anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The doorway scene with Wolfgang is one of the two scenes that have been with me from the start and I've built the entire rest of the fic around


	5. Touring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang and their family play tourist and Will and Wolf have a talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo, this got a bit more angstier than i was planning. oops? next chapter is the party so we'll be back to happier things.

The next day they wake early, Rajan picking up Shiro on the way to Will’s house to meet up with everyone. It’s decided that it’s time for everybody to get to properly play tourist with Will playing tour guide. As soon as everybody’s dressed and tote bags packed for a day out, they load up into the various cars and head off into the city.

The first stop of the day is to the [Garfield Park Conservatory](https://garfieldconservatory.org/), a giant indoor garden broken up into several different biomes. It’s a nice peaceful start to the day, the entire atmosphere relaxing even with the sounds of families and other tourists bustling around them. They all wind up picking out plants they’re familiar with, stories flowing back and forth with memories of happier times for most of them.

They eat lunch at a nearby restaurant, a chaotic affair to the outside observer, in which they all wind up sampling each other’s meals either physically or through their connection that left their family members laughing. Nothing like startling their waiters as one would take a bite and a person at the neighboring table leans over exclaiming how good it was. The confusion also wasn’t helped by all of them being more than willing to offer bites of food to one of the people across from them, leaving the poor staff wondering who was with who as they were all feeding each other. An amused, and much more relaxed, Rajan leaves a hefty tip as they leave.

Their next stop is to the [Field Museum](https://www.fieldmuseum.org/), the whole lot of them spreading out as their different interests pull them to one exhibit or another. Will winds up wandering behind them all, smiling to himself at his family’s obvious enjoyment. He winds up in the same exhibit as Wolfgang and Felix, their heads together, whispering as they look at some of the displays.  _ Not thinking of stealing anything are you? _

Wolfgang turns towards where Will stands across the room, laughing and shaking his head.  _ No, would be too much work trying to fence them. Besides, we go for smaller things, usually. I’m very good with safes. _

Will laughs and rolls his eyes. Getting an idea, he heads over to them, clapping them both on the shoulder, his voice low. “Come on, I think I know something you two would be much more interested in than all this.” Because though the ancient artifacts are interesting, and sometimes beautiful, he has an idea what they’d really be interested in.

Feeling Wolf’s curiosity pressing at him, he winks at the other man and heads towards the escalators. Taking them up to the top floor, he leads them into a slightly darkened room, cases with spotlights set around all the displays, the contents of which sparkle like nothing else can. The gem room - the perfect draw for a couple of thieves.

Wolfgang whistles, looking around the room. “This is more like it.” Soon enough Felix is tugging him over to look at a cut gem the size of an egg twinkling up at them enticingly. 

Will steps up behind them, laying a hand on Wolf’s shoulder as he rests his chin on the other, a solid line of heat at the blonde’s back. “I better not find out they’re missing later.” 

Wolf turns his head to look at him, catching the smile tilting the cop’s lips. Their faces are so close their noses brush as Will turns toward him. There’s a long pause, the two of them caught staring into each other’s eyes. Their noses brush once more, heads tilting just so, only a breath between them.

The excited voice of a woman entering the room pulls them out of the moment, Will blinks and steps back, the tips of his ears going pink as he refuses to meet Wolf’s knowing gaze. “I thought you guys might like this. I’m, uh, going to go check on the others.”

Wolf catches his gaze only for a moment,seeing fear and embarrassment, before the brunet flees the room. Scowling at the woman who interrupted them, he tries to reach out to Will with their connection only to feel him blocking him. Sighing, wondering about this new development, he turns his attention back to Felix and the magnificent stones on display.

~~

All in all, they spend a couple hours at the museum before returning to Will’s house for dinner where they wind up ordering in from several different restaurants. Conversation flows easily around the eclectic meal as they discuss their outing and the souvenirs they picked up.

Will slips out after a while, taking a seat on the porch steps as he nurses a beer while watching the stars gradually appear in the hazy evening sky. He knows his clustermates are concerned for him with the way he’s been shutting them out since the incident in the gem room. But, he can’t figure out how he feels and needs to be able to do that himself without  _ their _ feelings influencing him. He sighs and takes a drink of his beer, remembering when his life seemed boring and easy.

A body sits next to him, too close for polite company but still giving him several inches between them. The relative quiet of the night surrounds them - the steady thrum of traffic, car alarms blaring in the distance, planes flying overhead, laughter and conversation from inside.

“The others are concerned.”

“And you’re not?” Will looks over at the blonde next to him sceptically.

Wolf tilts his head in a vaguely agreeing motion. “More curious as to why you’re panicking.”

Will turns his gaze back to the stars, letting silence fall between them once more as he slowly finishes his beer. “Have you and Felix decided what you’re going to do after the party? Where you’re going to go?”

Wolf looks down into his empty bottle, looking for his own answers. “Not really. We could go back to Europe somewhere, but...we would still be going somewhere new. We’ve talked about staying here.”

“America?”

Wolf manages to catch Will’s gaze. “ _ Here _ . Chicago.” He shrugs. “At least we’d know people. Maybe we can open another locksmith business, huh?”

Will chuckles. “Sounds like setting the fox among the hens to me.”

Wolf gives another non-committal nod of his head as he grins and leans back, bracing his arms on the porch as he looks up at the night sky.

“I’ve always considered myself to be straight.”

Wolf turns his head, but Will’s gaze is strictly on the sky above. “I’ve fucked you. You’ve fucked my mouth.”

Will blushes scarlet and shakes his head. “But it wasn’t real, not  _ physically _ real; it felt like a fantasy. And I love Riley, I do.”

“We know. She knows.”

“But since even before you got here, I’ve been reaching out to you, wanting to touch you, wanting...I don’t even know.”

“Are you afraid of what you feel or what she might think? What your dad might think?”

Will finally looks down at him and scowls slightly. “You notice too much.”

“Hazard of the profession.”

“I always figured I’d have a wife and kids one day, you know? Maybe one day even move back into here with my family. And now, so much has changed, I have all these feelings, and …”

“Nobody says you can’t still have that.”

“Even if I want...”

Wolf looks over and Will’s blushing again and refusing to meet his eyes. He wonders how he wound up being the relationship counselor and why someone like Nomi wasn’t out there dealing with this emotions bullshit. “Look, Nomi or Lito or one of the others would be better at this, but you won’t talk to them, so whatever. You can still marry Riley and have kids if that’s what you two want to do in the future. It doesn’t mean you can’t love…” He realizes where he was going to go with that sentence and stops because there is no way that they can feel that way about each other. There’s not. “There’s nothing wrong with being with more than one person as long as everyone agrees.”

“So why did you push Kala away?”

It’s Wolf’s turn to scowl. “I’m not good for her. I love her, but our lives are so completely different, she just can’t understand why I’ve done what I have in the past. Not really. And I don’t think Rajan would be happy sharing.”

Will snorts and shakes his head. “No, no he wouldn’t.” He scrubs his hands over his face. “I know Riley is okay with...us. But dad, the rest of the cops at the station… there are discrimination laws and rules and regulations, but…”

“But people are assholes anyway.”

Will gives a startled laugh. “Yeah, people are assholes. I just...I’ve just needed to figure out how I feel about...everything without you guys influencing me. I just need some time.”

Wolf stands, his fingers reaching out to tangle in the brown silk of Will’s hair, feeling him lean into his touch.  _ Don’t take too long. _

Will feels two slim arms slide over his shoulders a little while later, a gentle press of lips against the side of his neck.

“You know I love you. You can go to him.”

Will shakes his head and presses a kiss to one of Riley’s hands. “I can’t. Not right now.”

“It’s okay if you have feelings for him. He’s one of us and we will always be a part of each other no matter what. Now or later, it doesn’t matter.” As he continues to stare out into space, Riley shakes her head. “Come on, come to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” Taking her hand, Will lets Riley lead him upstairs and into bed. And as he’s settling down, his mind hazy with sleep, he feels her soft curves pressed to his front and the ghost of a hard body pressed to his back.  _ Goodnight, thief. _

_ Goodnight, cop. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stop by my plot bunny [page](https://jujubunnies.freeforums.net/) and take a look. Let me know what fics you might be interested in or even leave your own suggestions. I can't guarantee anything will happen, but you never know :)


	6. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's our party and we'll do what we want to!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you who have given this random idea of mine a chance. I can't believe it took me almost a full year to get this last chapter to work for me, to be fair, though, it's not that bad with my track record *facepalm*. I have an idea for a sequel, starting a out a little angsty following directly after the end of this, but also involving a lot more smut. We'll see what happens lol

Will woke late the next day, the mild buzz from the beer he drank and the late night from his troubled thoughts making him sleep heavier than normal once he’d finally drifted off. Stretching, he frowned as he realized the bed was empty, the sheets cold. A quick reaching out with his thoughts let him know that the rest of his Cluster was awake and already started on the last minute party needs, a flow of happy thoughts and feelings washing over him and bringing a smile to his face even as he pouted, “Not used to waking up alone.”

Wolfgang suddenly appeared at the end of the bed in a pair of low slung sleep pants and a white tank top that left little to the imagination. Crawling up the bed and over Will’s legs, he braced himself on his arms, watching as Will’s eyes dilated and his breathing sped up. “I’m sure one of us could be persuaded to join you.”

Will’s tongue darted out over his lips as he stared up at Wolf, the blonde wearing a carefully neutral expression, even with the way he was propped so suggestively over him. Will realized he was waiting on him to make the first move after their talk the night before. “Wolf…” Will didn’t know what he wanted to say, hell, what he wanted in general. Sliding his hands up over muscled arms and broad shoulders, he let his fingers tangle in the silky blonde hair, the two staring into each other’s eyes, a thousand unanswered questions seeming to pass between them.

A sharp knock on the door had Wolf’s image disappearing and Will blinking up at the ceiling as his arms fell back to the bed. Nomi popped her head in the door and offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry, boys, but we need you downstairs Will. We need to know where to start setting things up.”

“Yeah...no, no it’s fine, Nomi. I’m just going to hop in the shower real quick and I’ll be downstairs.”

Nomi stepped into the room and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed next to the lost looking man. “It’s okay, you know? How you feel. It’s hard initially accepting that what you’ve always been taught and believed can change. But you’ve got support; we’re all here for you if you need us.”

Will sat up and hugged the willowy young woman, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Thanks, Nomi, I know. I just...I just need some time to figure things out. I’ll get there.”

Giving him a quick hug, she patted his leg. “I know you will. Now hurry up, we’ve got a party to set up!”

Laughing, he shooed her out and hopped in the shower, forcing himself to ignore his sexuality crisis in favor of thinking of everything they needed to do to get set up before the local guests started arriving. He could deal with everything else later.

~~

After sending Rajan and Will’s dad out to go pick up the cakes and other last minute items they needed, which also coincidentally got the two people the least comfortable with their abilities out of the house, the group quickly fell into an easy rhythm as they set out tables and chairs, arranged decorations, and set out food and drinks, the clustermates frequently hopping between bodies to get the job done as quickly as possible. Their friends and family frequently stepping back to watch in awe as the group did their thing.

Amanita and Felix were watching at one point when Neets hugged herself, remembering Nomi’s time in the hospital and what happened afterwards once more. “You forget what it’s like watching them work together to accomplish something. They’re usually so casual and playful with what they can do, but, seriously, I don’t think anything could stop them if they put their minds to something.”

Felix nodded, rubbing her back comfortingly. “Yeah, it’s always been just me and Wolfy, you know? And then they all just...helped, just because. They saved us and got us out, like magic.”

Dani stopped on her way through the room they were in, carrying a tray of snacks and rolled her eyes, “Hey, what are you guys doing slacking off? Come help!”

Laughing, the two joined the lively Hispanic woman in carting food outside to the tables they had set up.

~~

The time for the party was upon them, and it was a laughing, raucous group that tumbled in and out of bedrooms and bathrooms, getting dressed and made up and doing hair while Rajan, Michael and Shiro stayed out of the way downstairs chatting while casting amused smiles towards the chaos upstairs when it would get particularly loud.

Soon enough, everyone was finally dressed and ready to go, the first of the guests having already arrived and been escorted to the backyard by Michael. The group stood at the top of the stairs, looking down, nervousness suddenly overtaking all of them as they realized they’d be meeting Will’s coworkers, police officers, when all of them had just been, and some still were, on the other side of the law not too long ago. Will hesitated on the first step, taking a deep breath before looking back at his family of the heart and mind. “It’s going to be fine. Everybody should play nice, and if not, don’t be afraid to say something. I may work with them, but I can always find a new place to work. You guys are my family, and you all,” he looked at each of his clustermates as well as their friends and partners, “you _all_ mean more to me than any of them ever will. Besides, we’ve been through too much together to let a few prejudicial assholes ruin our birthday.” 

That got the group laughing and Riley squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek as she stepped down next to him. “Come on, we’re going to be late to our own party!”

It was with much lighter spirits that the group spilled down the stairs and into the backyard, their accented voices spilling over each other in a happy babble as the group of off duty cops stared wide-eyed at the odd group.

Michael stood up and waved toward his son and his friends as he addressed his former co-workers, trying to break the ice a little. “And here’s the birthday boys and girls themselves! We’ve got plenty of food thanks to them, and if you don’t like it, you know who to blame,” he paused as everyone laughed and Riley stuck her tongue out at him. “We’ve got plenty of drinks too, just remember when your next shift is, I don’t want the duty officer ragging me about you delinquents stumbling in hungover.” A few good natured shoves between some of the officers pointed out who that had probably happened to at least once. “Happy birthday, guys!”

A chorus of “happy birthday” went out as the clustermates smiled and leaned into each other. Shiro walked over to meet them, a loving smile on her face as she looked from her son to each of her new children and their loved ones. “Happy birthday, my children. I am so blessed to be able to share it with you all.” One by one the clustermates took a turn hugging the older woman, whispering their thanks for her acceptance and the love she offered them.

After that, the group finally split up and began to mingle, thanking people for coming, talking about the different foods they had made, the types of beer they preferred, movies they had seen. People began to relax around each other, though the officers watched partly in awe and partly in confusion as the odd bunch Will had apparently made friends with the past year kept drifting together before splitting apart once more, how they’d occasionally look off to the side like they were listening to someone only to have someone else on the other side of the yard answer to something they’d just been speaking about; it was kind of eerie. Plus, they really couldn’t figure out who was actually with who as they all seemed to drape over or wrap an arm around whoever they came close to.

As the day faded and the sun began to set, Will stood back, Riley tucked against his side, as they watched their friends and loved ones mingling, laughing and talking and so much more at ease than any of them had felt in a while. A warm presence at his back had Will turning his head, getting a glimpse of Wolf’s profile.

“You think I could manage to pick their pockets? I’m a little out of practice, but they _are_ pretty drunk.” Wolf tilted his head curiously as his gaze skated over the gathered cops.

Will and Riley laughed, Will shaking his head. “If you’re going to pick any cop’s pockets, it better be mine.”

“Are you giving me permission to get in your pants then?”

Will froze, gaze trapped by Wolf’s in the reverse of their position at the museum the day before as the tension between them skyrocketed suddenly. “Wolf…” his name was barely a whisper on Will’s lips, the two swaying towards each other just as Michael once more stood up and tapped on his beer bottle to get everyone’s attention, breaking the two apart. Riley squeezed Will’s hand comfortingly as he felt his heart race, his gaze continuing to dart to the blonde man next to him.

Michael’s happy voice spread over the yard as he looked around and the gathered group of people, “First I want to thank you all for coming to celebrate my kid’s birthday. It’s been a rough year but we all managed to pull through and come out better for it in the end, I think. But, now, as the _local_ guest of honor, at least, I think Will should give us a speech.” 

A laughing chant of “Speech! Speech! Speech!” went out and Will rolled his eyes and stepped forward, looking around for his family, waiting until they had all drawn close once more before speaking. “You know, it’s hard to believe that it was only a year ago that we were all...introduced to each other, a birthday like no other.” The clustermates laughed ruefully remembering their traumatic introduction to each other. “And ever since that moment it has been heartbreak and danger and adventure...and I wouldn’t have traded a moment of it because I wound up getting all of you in return. And not just you guys, but your loved ones as well. My life has become so much richer for having all of you in it.”

One of the cops laughing called out, “Sounds like you’re getting ready to propose!”

Will laughed and blushed, but dragged his gaze away from his family to look at his guests, “Nah, no need to propose to this group, we’re about as permanent as you can get already. We’ll be together forever.” Turning back to his cluster, he met their steady gazes, their smiles, “Happy birthday, guys. Here’s to a lifetime more of them together.”

The crowd watched as Will and the seven strangers sharing his birthday, having slipped into a circle facing each other, all raised their glasses at once, completely silent, before taking a drink. Dani and Neets whistled and cat-called while Hernando rolled his eyes at the girls’ antics and Felix laughed, Rajan looking on silently as he still wasn’t quite sure what to think of everything.

The group broke apart from their shared moment of celebrating the sensation of _methemus_ that would forever be with them, laughing and talking, pulling each other into hugs before tugging their loved ones into the chaos as well.

Suddenly, Will and Wolfgang were facing each other once more, reaching out to hug each other. Will felt the moment slow as Wolf reached up, his hand cupping the side of Will’s face a question in his eyes. Forgetting the group of cops, his co-workers, at his back, his dad, his own doubts, Will nodded slightly and leaned forward just in time for Wolf to claim his mouth in a slow, steady kiss. Will’s entire focus narrowed to the feel of Wolf’s body pressed against his own, the feel of his lips and tongue as the kiss deepened. Vaguely he heard the crash of a bottle breaking, the screech of utensils scraping against a dish. It wasn’t until he heard excited whistles and exclaiming that he finally pulled reluctantly away from the kiss, glancing over to see Dani and Neets grinning maniacally and cheering, Nomi and Sun smiling behind them. 

Riley leaned into his side once more and kissed his cheek before looking between Dani and Hernando and Lito. “You know, I think I really see the appeal now.”

Will started blushing even brighter, burying his face against Riley’s hair as he felt her laughing against him, his other arm still wrapped around Wolf’s waist.

Felix clapped Wolf on the shoulder, grinning. “About time!”

Wolfgang blinked at his best friend in surprise, “What?”

Felix just chuckled and shook his head, “You are not subtle, my friend. I’m glad for you.”

Wolf just stared at his friend for a long moment, surprised by the easy acceptance, before tugging him into a hug, “Thanks.”

“Umm, guys?” Kala’s tentative voice broke through the revelry, drawing their attention to her and Caephus who stood next to her.

Caephus nodded behind them, “I think you broke them.”

Almost as one, the group of friends turned toward the other half of the yard where the cops and Michael stood staring at them, more specifically Will, in shock.

With Riley hugging him from one side and Wolf pressed against his other, Will rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Umm, surprise?”

The cluster and their loved ones all looked at each other before bursting into laughter once more.

Just as a reminder, this is what inspired the whole thing lol: &;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/iframe&;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt&;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like my work? Curious about what other crazy ideas I've had? Check out my [plot bunny page](https://jujubunnies.freeforums.net/). You can comment on existing ideas or leave your own requests.
> 
> I NOW HAVE PATREON AND YOUTUBE! Patreon [ here](https://www.patreon.com/jujukittychick). YouTube [here](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYCO6a6lqLHu1a9yxk6yDsQ).
> 
> I'm also back on [LiveJournal](https://jujukittychick.livejournal.com/) now, so you can send me PMs or see the random things I'm working on as I use it to post ideas and stuff

**Author's Note:**

> Due to my Plot Bunny works being taken down by the mods, they have all (mostly) been moved [here](https://jujubunnies.freeforums.net/). Please stop by and have a look, leave comments on your faves, or leave your own suggestions (I can't promise anything will happen with them, but you never know what might spark an idea for me).


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